Hi, My GE refrigerator defrost fails to function causing the cooling coils to develop ice. This happened before when the unit was about seven years old. I replaced the Defrost Thermostat and it resolved the issue. I suspect the same issue this time.

While I'm waiting for the new Defrost Thermostat to arrive, I removed the suspected failed defrost thermostat to see if I could get the unit to defrost. I tried both conditions: 1. left the circuit open (thermostat removed) and 2. closed the circuit (shorted the connecting leads) to see if I could validate the thermostat issue. The unit appears to develop frost in either condition which causes me to suspect that there might be another issue causing the unit to fail to defrost.

Also, the ice maker stopped making ice. I suspect the two issues are related.

Prior to order any replacement parts you have to test them to save time and money. There are only two defrost parts (defrost thermostat and defrost heater) in the freezer and it is pretty simple to test them for continuity using a simple multimeter like the following:

I know the heater works. I removed the defrost thermostat and shorted the leads. The heater was working. I checked the defrost thermostat with a multimeter and it was open (no continuity) after it was removed. I placed it on ice and it checked out as having continuity at about 6 ohms resistance. It appears to me that the thermostat may be good as well as the heater.

Because one lead from the defrost thermostat connects to the plug for the ice maker and the fact that the ice maker is not making ice, I suspect the problem may be an ice maker electrical problem.

Do you have any diagnostic recommendations to check to further isolate this issue?

It will be awhile before I notice any frost build up inside the freezer compartment with the covers installed.

Since one lead from the defrost thermostat goes to the connector for the ice maker, could a fault in the ice maker electrical harness cause the frost build-up?

The ice maker is still not functioning. I filled the tray with water and it did rotate out one iteration of ice after about 18 hours. It doesn't seem to be getting any water. I notices that is did cycle once in the last 24 hours, but only produced ice about 15% of the normal size.

Does the defrost timer affect the ice maker? Will the refrigerator defrost properly with the ice maker unplugged from the connector to the electrical harness?

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